The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-07-13
KILL BY LIGHTNING.

From away back, the custom has been to
kill those who kill. The Sinai command
was, Thou shalt not kill" Jehovah was
content with issuing the command; no
penalty was attached. But subsequently,
Moses, the "meekest man." the great law
giver, declared that she that smiteth a
man so be die shall be surely put to DEATH"
That was the law l. 491 years before Christ
was born. Moses also ordained that ''he
that smiteth his father or his mother
shall surely die; and he that stealeth
man and selleth him, or If he be found in
his hand, be shall surely be put to DEATH"
And Moses still further ordained that che
that curseth his father or his mother shall
surely be put to DEATH" In those grand
old days, when Moses talked with God, the
practice was "eye for eye, tooth for tooth,
hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for
burning, wound for wound, stripe for
stripe"-and, necessarily, life for life.
1t is held that about 1900 subsequent to
the reign of Moses as a law giver his code
was greatly modified by one who said,
"Ye have heard that it hath been said,
AN eye for an eye and tooth for TOOTH
but say unto you that We resist not evil"
etc. As result, there has been conflict
ofopinion relating to the death penalty, or
what is termed capital punishment"
jehovah said, 'Thou shalt not kill" but
Governments as we'll as individuals have
ignored the command, and killing has
been the principal occupation Of nations
and tribes in all lands and climes, and it
may be added that the more enlightened
and christianized nations have become, the
more extensive has the killing business
engaged the attention of nations and very
few pay any regard to the command
that "ye resist not evil"
The State, as a general proposition, to-
tally ignores the idea that the non-resIst-
ance Of evil is the right thing to do, and in
dividusls still more promptly resist evil
and as for the good time coming" the mil
lennlal era, when the ''nations shall learn
war no more" few, If any one, anticipates
its dawn until human nature shall hav
undergone sublimatipg processes, the men.
ton of which nowadays is treated as hal
Inclination.
The question now before the country has
| no remote reference to the command,
"Thou shalt not kill" but, 30 far as the
State is required to kill, the discussion re-
lates to the most approved methods
Hanging is regarded as brutal, vulgar-not
in consonance with our much-vaunted civ.
iIization. The State assumes the right to
infiict the death penalty in certain cases,
chiefly for murder. True, not more than
one murderer in fifty is killed by th State
and it is generally conceded If murderer
has money or influential friends that the
death penalty is not for such persons. Man
ifestly the State could do vastly more kill
ing in the interest of society and good gov
eminent, and this seems to be the view o.
Judge Lynch, who is constantly holding
court In some parts of the country.
In the Forum for July an exceedingly
interesting paper on THE infection Of thu
Death Penalty" appears from the pen o
Park Benjamin. The purpose of the write
is to show that hanging Is not the prope
! mode Of Kidding the world Of those Wit